Intelligence Quote by Charles Krauthammer
““Intelligence is a capacity so godlike, so protean that it must be contained and disciplined. This is the work of politics—understood as the ordering of society and the regulation of power to permit human flourishing while simultaneously restraining the most Hobbesian human instincts. There could be no greater irony: For all the sublimity of art, physics, music, mathematics and other manifestations of human genius, everything depends on the mundane, frustrating, often debased vocation known as politics (and its most exacting subspecialty—statecraft). Because if we don’t get politics right, everything else risks extinction. We grow justly weary of our politics. But we must remember this: Politics—in all its grubby, grasping, corrupt, contemptible manifestations—is sovereign in human affairs. Everything ultimately rests upon it. Fairly or not, politics is the driver of history. It will determine whether we will live long enough to be heard one day. Out there. By them, the few—the only—who got it right.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Political Philosophy, Charles Krauthammer, 2005
Politics must harness and discipline human intelligence to enable flourishing while curbing destructive instincts, making it the decisive force behind civilization's survival.
In simple terms: Politics controls human potential and societal outcomes.
Guide politics wisely to protect humanity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- government policy
- international relations
- public administration
- ethical leadership
- civil society
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure politics serves humanity?
- What safeguards prevent political abuse?
Politics alone cannot solve all problems; other factors matter.